Don't Say a Word Information

Don't Say a Word is a 2001 psychological thriller film starring Michael Douglas, Brittany Murphy and Sean Bean based on the novel of the same title by Andrew Klavan. Don't Say a Word was directed by Gary Fleder and written by Anthony Peckham and Patrick Smith Kelly.

Plot

In 1991, a gang of thieves steal a rare $10 million gem, but in the process, two of the gang double cross their leader, Patrick Koster (Sean Bean) and take off with the precious stone.

Ten years later, on the day before Thanksgiving, prominent private practice Manhattan child psychiatrist, Dr. Nathan R. Conrad (Michael Douglas), is invited by his friend and former colleague, Dr. Louis Sachs (Oliver Platt), to examine a disturbed young lady named Elisabeth Burrows (Brittany Murphy) at the state sanatorium.

Having been released from prison on November 4, Patrick and the remaining gang members break into an apartment, which overviews Nathan's apartment, including his wife Aggie (Famke Janssen) and daughter Jessie (Skye McCole Bartusiak). That evening, Patrick kidnaps the psychiatrist's daughter as a means of forcing him to acquire a 6 digit number from Elisabeth's memory.

As Nathan visits Elisabeth, she is reluctant at first but he gains her trust later - especially when he reveals his daughter was kidnapped and will be killed if he doesn't get the number they want. Dr. Sachs admits to Nathan that the gang who kidnapped Jessie also kidnapped his girlfriend to force him to acquire the number from Elisabeth. Louis Sachs is then visited by Detective Sandra Cassidy (Jennifer Esposito) who reveals to him that his girlfriend has been found dead.

Meanwhile, Aggie hears Jessie's voice and realizes the kidnappers reside in the apartment nearby. The kidnappers send one of them to kill Aggie while the others escape with Jessie, but Aggie sets an ambush and kills him.

After Nathan takes Elisabeth out of the sanatorium, she begins to remember past events. It is revealed that Elisabeth's dad was a member of the gang that committed the robbery ten years ago and he double crossed them and took the stolen gem. However, other members of the gang later found him and ordered him to reveal where he had hidden the gem, pushing him in front of the train in the subway. The gang members were arrested immediately after that and Elisabeth escapes with her doll, where the gem was hidden. She also remembers that the required number, 815508, is the number of her father's grave at the Hart Island and her doll has been placed beside him in the coffin. She stowed away on a boat that was taking her father's coffin for burial in Potter's field on Hart Island, where the grave digger's helped her put the doll, Mischka, inside.

Nathan and Elisabeth steal a boat to reach Hart Island. The gang members track them down and demand that Nathan gives them the number they want. Elisabeth reveals the number and Patrick orders his companion to exhume her father's coffin. He finds the doll and the gem hidden inside it. He then decides to kill Nathan and Elisabeth but Detective Cassidy arrives before he can shoot them. Patrick's companion is shot by Cassidy but Patrick manages to wound her. Taking advantage of the confusion, Nathan takes the gem from Patrick and throws it to a nearby excavation machine. Patrick goes to recover the gem but Nathan triggers the mechanism which covers Patrick with earth, burying him alive. Nathan is then reunited with his wife and daughter, and it is implied that Elisabeth goes on to live with the Conrads.

Cast

• Michael Douglas as Dr. Nathan R. Conrad
• Sean Bean as Patrick Koster
• Brittany Murphy as Elisabeth Burrows
• Guy Torry as Dolen
• Jennifer Esposito as Det. Sandra Cassidy
• Famke Janssen as Agatha "Aggie" Conrad
• Oliver Platt as Dr. Louis Sachs
• Skye McCole Bartusiak as Jessie Conrad
• Shawn Doyle as Russel Maddox
• Victor Argo as Sydney Simon
• Conrad Goode as Max Dunlevy
• Paul Schulze as Jake
• Lance Reddick as Arnie
• Aidan Devine as Leon Edward Croft
• Alex Campbell as Jonathan
• Philip DeWilde as Intern
• Sam Montesano as Frankie
• Arlene Duncan as Aide
• Judy Sinclair as Zelda Sinclair
• Larry Block as Doorman
• David Warshofsky as Ryan
• Darren Frost as Janitor
• Philip Williams as Large Cop
• Louis Vanaria as Cop at Scene
• Daniel Kash as Detective Garcia
• Lucie Laurier as Vanessa
• Isabella Fink as 8 Year Old Elisabeth
• Ray Iannicelli as Man at Marina
• Colm Magner as Cop #1
• Cyrus Farmer as Officer #1
• Martin Roach as Transit Cop
• Patricia Mauceri as Sofia

Soundtrack

The film's musical score was composed by Mark Isham. The soundtrack contains eight songs from various scenes, including the Heist, the Kidnapping and the horrific events at the Subway.

Some of the music in the film includes the following songs and performers:

1. Funky Cold Medina by Tone Loc
2. 5 By Steve by Steve Weisberg
3. Fee Fie Foo by Louis Prima
4. Promises by India.Arie
5. Pride & Joy by Marvin Gaye
6. Dream a Little, Dream of Me by Ella Fitzgerald
7. Pink Toenails by Martie Maguire and Laura Lynch, sung by Skye McCole Bartusiak

See also

• Hart Island, New York